Student Reporting Guide

A Reporting Guide for VTCSOM Students

On the recent LCME Student Survey, there was concern expressed about how to report learning environment issues versus honor board issues; are these the same thing?  If not, how are they different and to whom should we report these concerns? 

Hopefully, this document will provide a good understanding of these issues and help guide you further! Please address any questions about this guide to a member of the Educational Affairs or Student Affairs teams; we are more than willing to assist further!

Reporting Learning Environment/Mistreatment Issues

Why Reporting Matters

At VTC School of Medicine, we are committed to a respectful, cooperative, and professional learning environment. If you experience or witness mistreatment, coercion, undue influence, or any behavior that negatively impacts your learning, you have the right and responsibility to report it.

What Counts as Mistreatment?

Mistreatment arises when a behavior shows disrespect for the dignity of others and interferes with the learning process. It can take the form of physical punishment, sexual harassment, psychological cruelty, or discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual orientation. Mistreatment includes, but is not limited to:

• Disrespectful or unprofessional behavior
• Coercion or undue influence
• Any action that interferes with your ability to learn or feel safe
• Threatening or abusive language, profanity, or language that can be perceived as rude, threatening, demeaning, sarcastic, loud, or offensive
• Belittling or humiliating behavior
• Intentional neglect or exclusion from communications
• Offensive sexist remarks or names
• Racist or ethnically offensive remarks or names
• Being subjected to unwanted sexual advances/being asked to exchange sexual favors for grades or other rewards
• Receiving lower evaluations or grades based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status or other personal beliefs/characteristics
• Being denied opportunities for learning or awards based on gender, race or ethnicity
• Requirements that personal services – such as babysitting, shopping, or personal errands – be performed
• Threats of or actual physical harm, such as hitting, slapping, and kicking

How to Report — Step-by-Step

Step 1: Choose Your Reporting Method

You have several options. Pick the one that feels most comfortable or appropriate for your situation:

Option A: One45 Evaluation System

• Who sees it? Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, Directors of Phase 2 and Phase 3
• How to access? Log into One45 and submit feedback through relevant evaluations:
  • Phase 1: Lecturer, Facilitator, or End-of-Block Evaluation
  • Phase 2 & 3: Student Evaluation of Attending, Resident, or Other Health Professional

Option B: The BEACON

• Who sees it? Vice Dean
• How to access? Submit your concern via The BEACON platform (link provided above, also on the VTCSOM web page, and via Canvas and other internal student portals)

Option C: Direct Contact

• Who can you contact?
  • Any member of the Learning Environment Advocacy Committee (LEAC)
  • Any member of the Dean’s Leadership Team
• How? In person, by email, or by phone

Confidential or Anonymous?

• You Decide!
• You can report anonymously depending on the method used
• A student reporting mistreatment may request not to be identified, and the committee will agree to that request, except in cases of sexual misconduct or violations of the law for which the committee is required to report
• In cases in which a student has made a complaint and has chosen to self-identify, the committee will take no action without that student's expressed consent unless a law has been violated. In some cases, the action related to an incident may be delayed until the student has completed and received a grade for a block, clerkship, or elective
• All complaints are investigated, acted upon, and those found to be egregious or repeated are reported to the Dean

What Happens After You Report?

1. Review: Your report is initially reviewed by the appropriate dean or director, and is triaged by a committee which includes medical student members of the LEAC
2. Urgent Issues: The report is dealt with prior to the next meeting of the LEAC
3. Committee Discussion: Urgent or non-urgent, the report is presented to the Learning Environment Advocacy Committee
4. Action Plan: The committee decides on a plan to address the concern; actions may take several forms

Tips for Effective Reporting

• Be as specific as possible (who, what, when, where).
• If you're unsure whether something qualifies, report anyway—your concern will be taken seriously.

Reporting Honor Code Violations

Why It Matters

At VTCSOM, academic integrity is essential to our community. All students, faculty, and staff are required to report any suspected violation of the MD Honor Code. Reporting is not optional—it’s a shared responsibility.

What Counts as a Violation?

Violations may include:

• Cheating on exams or assignments
• Plagiarism
• Falsification/misrepresentation of academic work
• Academic sabotage
• Any dishonest behavior related to MD studies

How to Report — Step-by-Step

Step 1: Notify the Honor Board

• Send an email to either:
  • VTCSOM Honor Board Chair, or
  • VTCSOM Honor Board Faculty Advisor
  • Ask anyone in Educational Affairs or Student Affairs for the names of these individuals
  • Let them know you intend to submit a report

Step 2: Complete the Official Report

• Use the Honor Code Violation Reporting Form
  • Available on Canvas (VTCSOM Student Handbook site)
  • Also available in the student mailroom

Step 3: Submit the Report

• Place the completed form in a sealed envelope
• Deliver it to:
  • The Honor Board Chair, or
  • The Honor Board Faculty Advisor

Important Deadline

• Reports must be submitted within 10 University business days of discovering the violation.
• Exceptions may be granted only under special circumstances (e.g., delays in obtaining evidence), and only at the discretion of the Honor Board Chair and Faculty Advisor.

Reporting from Extended Campuses

If you're studying at any of the locations listed below, you are still fully subject to the Honor Code

• Virginia Tech main campus
• FBRI
• Salem VA Medical Center
• Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
• Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital

What Happens After You Report?

Issues are handled informally or formally, depending on the nature of the allegation; this can range from a facilitated discussion to a more formal hearing process.

There is detailed information online about the process; any student alleged to have violated the honor code has procedural rights; all matters are held in strict confidence.